Covid-19 ethnic minorities news roundup 17 February

The big news is that Dr. Halima Begum and her colleagues have managed to convince the government that there is a real need for members of ethnic minorities to get vaccinated as a priority due to the disproportionate impact Covid-19 has on these groups.

The Daily Telegraph [£] is of the view that ethnicity may be a priority in third phase of vaccine rollout and that the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation is expected to urge ministers to take into account higher mortality risk faced by some minority communities.

Here is a little insight into what is going on in the rest of the country.

Leicester

• New study suggests black healthcare workers are not taking jab and African nations struggle to collect vaccine data – Voice
• Covid: Lower jab take-up by BAME NHS staff ‘a concern’ -BBC
• White NHS staff are almost TWICE as likely as black medics to get a Covid vaccine, study finds as experts warn hesitancy among BAME groups could jeopardise national roll-out – Daily Mail

Newcastle

• Covid-19 vaccine take-up lower in Newcastle’s BAME and low-income communities, health boss confirms – Chronicle

North Staffordshire

• GPs raise alarm over low uptake of COVID-19 vaccine in BAME patients – GPonline

Preston

The leader of Preston City Council  has said those living in deprived regions and neighbourhoods should be vaccinated firs. Preston currently has the country’s ninth highest infection rate.

England

• Covid: Third of social care staff still not vaccinated, Matt Hancock says – BBC

UK

• COVID-19: Why are people from some ethnic minority groups in the UK less likely to take a coronavirus jab – Sky News

General

• Better information about Covid vaccines needed to encourage BAME uptake – Personnel Today
• Four key pieces of data as the UK hits 15m vaccinations target – The Week
• How can data help address the inequalities of Covid-19? – Politics Home
• Ethnic minority multigenerational household groups ‘should get jab at same time’ – Express and Star

Covid-19 and ethnic minorities

Here are some basic facts about Covid-19 relating to ethnic minorities.

• White people are more than three (3.05) times as likely as people from mixed ethnic backgrounds to have been vaccinated
• White people are more than one point five (1.56) times as likely as people from Asian backgrounds to have been vaccinated
• White people are more than twice (2.12) as likely as people from Black backgrounds to have been vaccinated
• People from mixed ethnic backgrounds are 67% less likely to have been vaccinated
• People from Asian backgrounds are 36% less likely to have been vaccinated
• People from Black backgrounds are 53% less likely to have been vaccinated.

Source: Royal College of General Practitioners: Using NHSE vaccination stats up until 2 February 2021 and ONS 2011 census population statistics

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